Clamping fixture for use in a hoisting and lifting device

ABSTRACT

A hoisting device. A rigid base and a rigid symmetrical frame are joined by jack means comprising two members joined together for motion toward and away from each other, one member being secured to the base and one to the frame, for moving the frame and base relatively to each other. The frame has at its upper end, a ring for engagement by a pickup device, and it has a pair of diagonal braces extending from the ring, and a transverse portion lying perpendicular to the angle bisecting the angle formed by the braces and joining the braces and extending beyond them, and a pair of vertical anchor slots, one adjacent each end of the transverse portion beyond the braces. Linear flexible retention means, such as a chain or cable, secured in the slots are passed around an object to be hoisted, the jack means being used to tighten the base against the object to be hoisted and causing it to bear against it and force the object tightly against the linear flexible retention means, so that the assembly can then be lifted by lifting the ring.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Luell Hilburn 7240 Manila Ave, El Cerrito, Calif. 94530 [2]] Appl. No. 799,173 [22] Filed Feb. 14, 1969 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [54] CLAMPING FIXTURE FOR USE IN A HOISTING AND LIFTING DEVICE 9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 294/67, 294/74, 269/132 [51] Int. Cl B66c 1/12 [50] Field of Search 294/67 (SB);269/95,97,130,131,132

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,839,781 1/1932 Zimmersbach 269/132 2,290,565 7/1942 Lagana.... 294/74 3,005,653 10/1961 Becker 294/74 3,070,056 12/1962 Hill 269/131 3,443,831 5/1969 Grange 294/67 FOREIGN PATENTS 798,851 7/1958 Great Britain Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Att0rney-Owen, Wickersham and Erickson ABSTRACT: A hoisting device. A rigid base and a rigid symmetrical frame are joined by jack means comprising two members joined together for motion toward and away from each other, one member being secured to the base and one to the frame, for moving the frame and base relatively to each other. The frame has at its upper end, a ring for engagement by a pickup device, and it has a pair of diagonal braces extending from the ring, and a transverse portion lying perpendicular to the angle bisecting the angle formed by the braces and joining the braces and extending beyond them, and a pair of vertical anchor slots, one adjacent each end of the transverse portion beyond the braces. Linear flexible retention means, such as a chain or cable, secured in the slots are passed around an object to be hoisted, the jack means being used to tighten the base against the object to be hoisted and causing it to bear against it and force the object tightly against the linear flexible retention means, so that the assembly can then be lifted by lifting the ring.

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- ATTORNEYS CLAMPING FIXTURE FOR USE IN A IIOISTING AND LIFTING DEVICE This invention relates to a clamping fixture for use in a hoisting and lifting device.

Contractors often need to move pipes, beams, lumber, and other cumbersome materials from one location to another. For example, they have to put pipes into a trench, they have to lift lumber to the upper stories of a building, and they have to unload pallets or beams from a truck. Heretofore, such operations either had to-be done manually, or had to be done with the aid of a large crane. Occasionally, the material tended to slip or to come loose and produced a serious hazard. There has long been a need for hoisting equipment available for use with a wide variety of materials, without having to bring in expensive equipment like a crane. Such equipment must perform the job safely, efficiently and with a minimum of effort.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide such a device, which not only performs the above-mentioned tasks, but is of simple and inexpensive construction and is quite easy to operate. When used in conjunction with a back hoe or winch, it performs many of the moving jobs heretofore accomplished by cranes and does so with no danger of slippage.

Another object of the invention is to provide equipment for holding pipe ends together firmly and evenly, for enabling their attachment together or their welding.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a clamping device embodying the principles of the invention, with the chain or cable omitted.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation on a reduced scale of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, with a modified bottom fitting, being used in conjunction with a chain to lift a large cubic box.

FIG. 4 is a similar view with another modified fitting applied to the lower end of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, used in conjunction with lifting an I-beam.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified form of the invention embodying a hydraulic cylinder instead-of a screw thread type of arrangement and showing in broken lines an object to be lifted and a tensile device, such as a chain, for attaching the unit of the invention to the object.

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the lower portion of the device of FIG. 1, showing attachment to a pipe by wire rope.

FIG. 8 is a view in end elevation of the same, indicating the pipe by broken lines again.

FIG. 9 is a top plan fragmentary view of the attachment of a wire cable to the device.

FIG. 10 is a similar view showing the attachment ofa chain.

FIG. 11 is a similar view in side elevation, partly in section and showing the chain attachment.

The hoisting device shown in FIGS. I and 2 comprises a rigid base member 15 comprising an angle iron 16 at its lower end and a cylindrical tube 17 extending up therefrom. The tube 17 is secured, as by welding, pinning, or by threading, to the lower end of a threaded rod I8, on which is threaded a sleeve 20 having a handle portion 21 rigidly secured thereto, as by welding. The sleeve 20, being interiorly threaded rides on the threads of the rod 18, and the upper end 22 of the sleeve 20 is rigidly secured, as by welding to the base 24 of a rigid symmetrical frame 25.

The upper end 26 of the frame may be secured, rigidly or by a swivel, to a ring 27 for engagement by a pickup device such as a winch hook or other similar device. A pair of diagonal braces 28 and 29 extend from the end 26 to the transverse base portion 24 and are welded thereto. The transverse base 24 lies perpendicular to the line bisecting the angle formed by the braces 28 and 29, and the threaded rod 18 extends along this line. The base 24 both joins the braces 28 and 29 and extends beyond them. Outside the braces 28 and 29 are a pair of vertical bars 30 and 31 secured to the base 24,

and a pair of anchor means for tensile members are provided in these bars 30 and 31, such as a pair of slots 32 and 33 extending vertically, adjacent their ends. In these slots 32, 33, chains 34, 35 (See FIG. 3) may be anchored by their links, as shown in FIGS. 10 and II.

The base fitting l5 and the threaded rod 18 cooperate with the frame 25 to provide ajack means which is used to tighten one or more tensile members secured to the anchor slots 32, 33.

When chains 34, 35 (FIG. 3) or other such tensile members, are put into the anchor slots 32, 33, it becomes possible to attach the assembly tightly to an object to be moved. The assembly may be used in either of two ways, illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 4. The angle iron 16 may be placed so that it extends either in the same direction as the transverse member 24 (See FIG. 4), or, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, perpendicularly to it. When perpendicular to the transverse base 24, the angle iron 16 rests on the upper end of the pipe or other member to be moved. One chain 36 is used (as in FIG. 4) and is brought from one of the slots 32 around below the pipe, and then up and locked into the other slot 33. When the angle iron 16 is turned in the other direction, parallel to the transverse base 24, two chains 34 and 35 are used (as in FIG. 3), and both of them have both ends locked in the same slot 32, 33.

FIG. 3 also shows a modified form of base 36 with a flat lower end 37 for resting on a box 38 or other similar item. FIG. 4 shows still another modified form of base 40 having a channel 41 at its lower end and especially suitable for use with an I-beam 42, which is able to fit with its flange 43 into the channel 41. Instead of being welded to the rod 18, the base 36 or 40 is shown secured and locked by a pin or bolt 44, for interchange of different bases on the same assembly.

A basically similar assembly is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, where the frame 50 is substantially the same as the frame 25, except for a strengthening member 51 lying below the transverse base 24. An important difference, however, is that this device is hydraulic instead of threaded. Again, there are jack means, but the jack means, instead of comprising the screw, comprises a hydraulic cylinder 52 with a piston inside, which acts to move a connecting rod 53 toward and away from a base 54. The connecting rod is rigidly fixed to the frame 50, as by being secured to the transverse member 24 by a nut 55, or by welding. Operation otherwise may be the same. A fiat baseplate 56 is shown secured to a channel member 57 in this instance. A handle 58 is used to pump fluid into the cylinder 52, so that manual operation is quite feasible.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the use of a base 60 having a curved lower member 61 to fit a certain size of pipe 62. They also show the use of wire cables or ropes 63, 64 instead of chains.

FIG. 9 shows how a cable 64 may be locked in place in the slot 32; each end of the cable 64 has a tee fitting 65 or 66 that locks it in place against tensile force, though it can easily be slipped out by hand.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show how a chain 35 may be locked in the slot 31 by one link 67 passing through the slot 31, while the other two links 68 and 69 on each side of the link 67 form a limitation preventing movement in that direction under tensile force.

In operation, the base 15 or 36 or 40 or 54 or 60 is placed on top of the center of the object to be moved, and the chain 34, 35, 36 or cable 63, 64 is passed beneath that object and locked into the slots 32, 33 so that it is fairly snug, but still somewhat loose. Then the jack means, i.e., the threaded rod 18 with the sleeve 20 or the hydraulic cylinder 52 and its rod 53, is used to tighten the base against the object to be lifted and remove all slack from the chain or cable, so that the chain or cable becomes quite tight as the transverse member 24 is moved upwardly relative to the base, and the frame 25 or 50 pulls the ends of the chain or cable with it. When at exactly the right degree of tightness to hold an article snugly, then the frame 25 or 50 may be lifted by engaging a hook into the eye 27 or by any other suitable means for lifting the clamping attachment.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

lclaim:

l. A hoisting device, including in combination:

a rigid base,

a rigid symmetrical frame having at one end a means for engagement by a pickup device, a pair of diagonal braces extending from said means, and a transverse portion lying perpendicular to the angle bisecting the angle formed by said braces, said transverse portion joining said braces, and a pair of anchor means, one adjacent each end of said transverse portion,

jack means comprising two members joined together for motion toward and away from each other, one of said members being secured to said base and one to said frame, for moving said frame and base relatively to each other, said jack means lying along the line bisecting the angle formed by said braces, and

linear flexible retention means secured to said anchor means and adapted to be passed around an object to be hoisted,

whereby said jack means is used to tighten said base against the object to be hoisted causing it to bear against it and force the object tightly against said linear flexible retention means, so that the assembly can then be lifted by lifting said means for engagement.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for engagement comprises a ring secured at the vertex of the angle formed by said braces.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said transverse member extends beyond said braces at each end and said anchor means is provided, beyond said braces, with vertical bars welded to said braces and to said transverse member, and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots, one in each said vertical bar.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said jack means comprises a threaded rod secured to said base and a sleeve threaded on said rod and rigidly secured to said frame.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein said jack means comprises a hand-operated hydraulic device having a cylinder portion and a piston and connection rod portion; one said portion being secured to said base and the other said portion being secured to said frame.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said base is readily detachable from said jack means for interchange of bases of differing configuration.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprises a single chain anchored at each end to anchor means at opposite ends of said transverse portion.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprises a pair of chains and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots, both ends of each chain being locked against tensile force in the same said slot, each chain employing a different said slot.

9. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprise at least one cable having tee fittings on each end and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots in 'which said cable is slidable with the tee fittings preventing withdrawal therefrom. 

1. A hoisting device, including in combination: a rigid base, a rigid symmetrical frame having at one end a means for engagement by a pickup device, a pair of diagonal braces extending from said means, and a transverse portion lying perpendicular to the angle bisecting the angle formed by said braces, said transverse portion joining said braces, and a pair of anchor means, one adjacent each end of said transverse portion, jack means comprising two members joined together for motion toward and away from each other, one of said members being secured to said base and one to said frame, for moving said frame and base relatively to each other, said jack means lying along the line bisecting the angle formed by said braces, and linear flexible retention means secured to said anchor means and adapted to be passed around an object to be hoisted, whereby said jack means is used to tighten said base against the object to be hoisted causing it to bear against it and force the object tightly against said linear flexible retention means, so that the assembly can then be lifted by lifting said means for engagement.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for engagement comprises a ring secured at the vertex of the angle formed by said braces.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said transverse member extends beyond said braces at each end and said anchor means is provided, beyond said braces, with vertical bars welded to said braces and to said transverse member, and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots, one in each said vertical bar.
 4. The device of claim 2 wherein said jack means comprises a threaded rod secured to said base and a sleeve threaded on said rod and rigidly secured to said frame.
 5. The device of claim 2 wherein said jack means comprises a hand-operated hydraulic device having a cylinder portion and a piston and connection rod portion; one said portion being secured to said base and the other said portion being secured to said frame.
 6. The device of claim 2 wherein said base is readily detachable from said jack means for interchange of bases of differing configuration.
 7. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprises a single chain anchored at each end to anchor means at opposite ends of said transverse portion.
 8. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprises a pair of chains and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots, both ends of each chain being locked against tensile force in the same said slot, each chain employing a different said slot.
 9. The device of claim 2 wherein said linear flexible retention means comprise at least one cable having tee fittings on each end and said anchor means comprises a pair of vertical slots in which said cable is slidable with the tee fittings preventing withdrawal therefrom. 